Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Apple is current trying out at least five radically different iPhone 7 prototypes

Apple is reportedly experimenting with five different iPhone 7s. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

What will the iPhone 7 look like? Even Apple doesn’t know. According to a new rumor out of China, Apple is currently experimenting with at least five distinct iPhone 7 models, each with a totally different combination of hardware, including a possible AMOLED screen, a USB Type-C connector instead of Lightning, and a fingerprint reader built into the display.

The rumor comes from GforGames, an often-reliable source for Far East rumors about upcoming Apple products: They got most of their rumors about the iPhone 6s and iPad Pro right.

Still, take it with a grain of salt (as you should all Apple rumors) when they write that there are five different iPhone 7 prototypes in play right now:

By the sound of it Apple is trying to figure out which technologies would go best in the upcoming model, all the while keeping an eye on the performance of its suppliers

Reportedly, some of the technologies that can be found in these prototypes include a USB Type-C connector compatible with headsets, wireless charging technology, multi-Force Touch, dual camera configurations, and fingerprint recognition technology embedded within the display. The source claims that Apple is also fiddling with AMOLED display technology, but we should point out that, based on recent reports, the first iPhone to use an AMOLED screen will not be released before 2018.

I’d bet this is true. We’ve heard many times before that Apple often experiments with all sorts of prototypes before deciding on a final design. Still, this rumor gives us a tantalizing look at what might be coming down the pipe … if not for the iPhone 7, than the iPhone 7s or even iPhone 8.